Warwickshire Direct
Free school meals
Alternatively, you can apply by telephone on 01926 742060. The online checking system provided by the Department of Education only confirms or denies your eligibility to claim free school meals: it does not give us any other information.
When your eligibility has been confirmed and your application processed, you will be sent a confirmation letter and we will contact the school directly regarding your child's eligibility.
Please be aware that:
- we are unable to backdate claims for free school meals to cover unpaid dinner money, or to refund dinner money paid prior to the date of a successful application.
- although we no longer require free school meal claims to be renewed on an annual basis it remains the responsibility of the claimant not that of the school to ensure that we have the correct information at all times, i.e. a current home address, the names of all the children requiring free school meals and the schools they currently attend.
Qualifying for free school meals
The current criteria for claiming free school meals are:
- family receives Income Support or Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance. Please note, Contribution-Based Job Seeker's Allowance does not qualify for free school meals.
- family receives the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit.
- family receives Child Tax Credit and has an annual income, as assessed by HMRC, not in excess of £16,190. Please note, families who are also entitled to Working Tax Credit do not qualify to claim free school meals regardless of income.
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
- Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related). Please note, Contribution-Based E&SA does not qualify for free school meals.
Temporary qualification for free school meals
You become eligible to claim free school meals if you receive a Working Tax Credit run-on: this is the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
In order to qualify for free school meals after the four week period expires you will need to be in receipt of one of the other qualifying benefits listed above, and we will need to be able to verify that.
Unfortunately there is no 4 week 'run-on' of free school meals if you become entitled to Working Tax Credit because you have taken work: your entitlement to claim free school meals ends when your qualifying benefit ends.
Pupil Premium
When you successfully apply for free school meals the school will receive an extra £488 of government funding even if your child does not want the meal. This additional funding will be used to help children from lower income families do their very best at school. Please also be aware that if your family is registered for free school meals you may be eligible to claim other forms of assistance, for instance with home to school transport. If you would like more information about home to school transport contact Education Transport on 01926 742059.
Changes to your benefit entitlement
We do routine eligibility checks on all current claims throughout the year. Please contact us immediately if your benefit changes or ends, as it may mean that you no longer qualify to claim free school meals. It is equally important that you tell us if your partner is now claiming the family's qualifying benefit for free school meals as we will need an application from them.
If you do not notify us that your family is no longer eligible for free school meals, you may be invoiced for the cost of any free meals taken that you were not entitled to.
Other help
Benefit Helpline contact numbers:
HM Revenue & Customs
0845 300390008453 003900
Mon - Fri 8am to 8pm and Sat 8am to 4pm
For deaf or hard of hearing or speech impaired: 08453003909
08453003909
JobCentre Plus
0800 05566880800 0556688
Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm
For deaf or hard of hearing or speech impaired: 0800 0556688 08000556688
Free school milk
Please contact your child's school to find out whether this is available and how to request it.
Free school meals frequently asked questions
- I receive Employment and Support Allowance. Do I qualify for free school meals?
- I qualify for free school meals can I also apply for help with the cost of my child’s school uniform?
- My child attends a Warwickshire County Council school but we live outside of the county. Which local authority do I apply to for free school meals?
- How will my child get his/her free school meal?
- Will my child’s entitlement to free school meals be backdated to the date my benefit started so that I can claim a refund of the dinner money I’ve paid?
- Due to family circumstances my grandchildren have to come to live with me. Can I claim free school meals for them?
- I am a foster carer - can I apply for free school meals for a child in my care?
- I claim Job Seekers Allowance but I have been told I don’t qualify for free school meals. Why?
- Is my child entitled to receive free school meals if myself, or my partner claims Working Tax Credit?
- My family claims Working Tax Credit but our annual income is less than the upper income threshold for free school meals. Why don’t we qualify?
- What will happen if I do not notify you that I have started work?
- I claim Income Support and my child attends Warwickshire College: can I claim free school meals?
- I claim Income Support and my child attends a private nursery school three mornings per week: can I claim free school meals?
- I receive Incapacity Benefit + Disability Living Allowance(DLA). Do I qualify for free school meals?
- Can I appeal against the free school meals eligibility policy?
- I want my child to have a balanced meal. What food will be provided as a free school meal?
- Once I have applied, and my claim has been accepted, how soon will my child receive a free school meal?
- Do I need to provide proof of my benefit claim?
- I have been told that I can claim free school meals if I lose my job, even though I am still receiving Working Tax Credit. Is that true?
I receive Employment and Support Allowance. Do I qualify for free school meals?
If you get Employment & Support Allowance (Income-Related) you are eligible to claim free school meals. However Contribution-Based Employment & Support Allowance is not a qualifying benefit for free school meals.
I qualify for free school meals can I also apply for help with the cost of my child’s school uniform?
There is no requirement under the Education Act 2005 for local authorities, including Warwickshire, to fund a uniform clothing allowance. You may wish to contact the school to see if they have an in-house scheme to help with uniform costs.
My child attends a Warwickshire County Council school but we live outside of the county. Which local authority do I apply to for free school meals?
You need to apply to Warwickshire County Council for your child’s free school meals if he/she is attending a WCC maintained school or nursery.
How will my child get his/her free school meal?
We will contact the school your child attends by telephone or e-mail when your application has been processed. Weekly updates are also sent to the schools.
Most schools are now moving towards a Smartcard system to administer school meals and if your child is entitled to a free school meal the daily allowance for a school meal (£1.80 from January 2011 unless local changes have resulted in different pricing structure) will be pre-loaded onto the card. However there will be variations from school to school in the way free school meals are delivered so we would suggest that you contact the school your child attends for further details.
Will my child’s entitlement to free school meals be backdated to the date my benefit started so that I can claim a refund of the dinner money I’ve paid?
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) policy guidelines state that a local authority has no responsibility to provide a free school meal to a child where no application has been made. Unfortunately we cannot backdate entitlement to free school meals to cover unpaid school dinner money, or to refund dinner money paid before the date of application.
Due to family circumstances my grandchildren have to come to live with me. Can I claim free school meals for them?
If you have become the children’s main carer you may be able to claim free school meals for them if you or their parent claims a qualifying benefit.
I am a foster carer - can I apply for free school meals for a child in my care?
If either the foster carer or the natural parent is entitled to a qualifying benefit then they can apply for free school meals for the fostered child.
I claim Job Seekers Allowance but I have been told I don’t qualify for free school meals. Why?
There are two Job Seekers Allowances, only one of which qualifies for free school meals. If you claim Contribution-Based Job Seekers Allowance there is no entitlement to free school meals: you must be receiving Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance to qualify.
Is my child entitled to receive free school meals if myself, or my partner claims Working Tax Credit?
There is currently no ongoing eligibility to claim free school meals for families who receive Working Tax Credit. However under specific circumstances there may be a 4-week temporary eligibility. Further information can be found on the main Free School Meals webpage.
My family claims Working Tax Credit but our annual income is less than the upper income threshold for free school meals. Why don’t we qualify?
The upper annual taxable income threshold of £16,190 applies to families who receive Child Tax Credit only.
What will happen if I do not notify you that I have started work?
It is particularly important that you tell us if you (or your partner) begin claiming Working Tax Credit. Unfortunately if you do not notify us about this, and a routine eligibility check during the year shows that you continued to claim school meals when no longer eligible to do so, then you may be asked to repay the cost of all meals taken free to which your children were not entitled.
I claim Income Support and my child attends Warwickshire College: can I claim free school meals?
Colleges of Further Education are not maintained by the local authority and statutory legislation relating to the provision of free school meals does not apply to them. It is possible that the college itself may have an in-house scheme to assist students of parents who claim benefit but you would need to contact the college directly to make enquiries.
I claim Income Support and my child attends a private nursery school three mornings per week: can I claim free school meals?
Although you receive a qualifying benefit you are only eligible to claim free school meals for your child if he/she attends a Warwickshire County Council maintained nursery school, and receives education both before and after the lunch period.
I receive Incapacity Benefit + Disability Living Allowance(DLA). Do I qualify for free school meals?
Incapacity Benefit and DLA are not qualifying benefits for free school meals. Unfortunately unless you receive Income Support or Child Tax Credit in addition to Incapacity Benefit and DLA you will not be eligible to claim free school meals.
Can I appeal against the free school meals eligibility policy?
Local authorities do not set the qualifying criteria for free school meals and we are unable to waive them. Any change to the criteria is a matter for central, not local government so your local Member of Parliament is the appropriate person to contact about this.
I want my child to have a balanced meal. What food will be provided as a free school meal?
The school your child attends will be able to advise you about their weekly lunch menu. You can also read more about Warwickshire’s commitment to healthy eating on County Caterers School Meals webpage.
Once I have applied, and my claim has been accepted, how soon will my child receive a free school meal?
We are committed to processing your application and advising the appropriate school about your child’s entitlement as quickly as possible, so that there is no delay in free school meals starting. However due to varying school administration requirements it is not always possible to guarantee a same-day service. All applications received by us should be processed within 3 working days and we will confirm your entitlement in writing.
Do I need to provide proof of my benefit claim?
When you apply on-line or by telephone we are able to directly check your entitlement using the Eligibility Checking Service (provided by Dept. for Education), and you will be advised whether or not your claim is successful at the time. You will only be asked to provide current documentary evidence of which benefit you receive if your eligibility cannot be confirmed.
I have been told that I can claim free school meals if I lose my job, even though I am still receiving Working Tax Credit. Is that true?
You become eligible to claim free school meals if you are awarded a 4-wk 'run-on' of Working Tax Credit by HMRC because a change in your circumstances means that there is no further entitlement to Working Tax Credit. Please be aware that you will only be eligible to claim free school meals for that 4-wk period: once it has expired free school meals can only continue if you are in receipt of one of the other qualifying benefits.
Unfortunately we will be unable to confirm eligibility using the Eligibility Checking Service, so you will need to provide a copy of your Tax Credit Decision Notice with a hard copy application form. If you do not have a Tax Credit Decision Notice please ask to speak to the Free School Meals Administration Officer.
